Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 21:1
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
If one be found slain, etc.] After public war with an enemy, Moses proceeds to speak of a private quarrel and fight of one man with another, in which one is slain, as Aben Ezra observes: in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it; where murders might be committed more secretly, and remain undiscovered, when they came to live in separate cities, towns, and villages, with fields adjacent to them, than now encamped together: lying in the field; where the quarrel begun, and where the fight was fought: or, however, where the murderer met with his enemy, and slew him, and left him; it being common for duels to be fought, and murders committed in a field; the first murder in the world was committed in such a place, (<010408>Genesis 4:8). The Targum of Jonathan is, “not hidden under an heap, not hanging on a tree, nor swimming on the face of the waters;” which same things are observed in the Misnah f256, and gathered from some words in the text: in the land, and so not under a heap; lying, and so not hanging; in the field, and so not swimming on the water: and it be not known who hath slain him; the parties being alone, and no witnesses of the fact, at least that appear; for, if it was known, the heifer was not beheaded, later mentioned f257; and one witness in this case was sufficient, and even one that was not otherwise admitted.
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